


Surprise! I'm Your Sister

by btvscharmedgirl



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-05-04 14:17:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14594829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/btvscharmedgirl/pseuds/btvscharmedgirl
Summary: When Olivia opened the envelope containing the results of the kinship analysis, she never expected to gain a sister who was sitting in jail for murder. Still, eager to finally obtain a piece of her heritage, she is drawn to the young woman.





	1. Learning the Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Buffy, SVU, or any character associated with either Series.
> 
> AN: This is a response to challenge number 4815; Surprise! I'm your sister.
> 
> I have been wanting to write this for many years, and now I have managed to form some words. I hadn't planned on posting thins until the story was completed, but I figured I would see if you like what I have so far. (I hope you do!)
> 
> I'm sorry if I missed any mistakes. If I have please point them out so I can fix them.
> 
> To lovinTiva: I really hope you like this, and that it measures up to what you were hoping for

Olivia was sitting at her desk when her partner, Eliot Stabber, shuffled into the bull pen. She looked up when she heard him approaching, thankful for a small distraction from the mounds of paper work she had to complete. "I hear you got Patty Kendall. Congratulations."

"Thanks," he said, and then pulled out the envelope Doctor Warner had given him. "And Warner asked me to give this to you. You had a kinship analysis done," he stated slyly.

Olivia accepted the offer envelope. "Yeah. It's for a cold case," she said feigning disinterest, despite her heart thudding hard in her chest. She was sure he could hear it too, it was beating that loud.

"You're not working on any cold cases right now," He said knowingly. He had spent enough time over the years to see when she was lying to him. "What is it?"

Olivia ignored his question as she opened the envelope. She took an unsteady breath as she looked at the results of the kinship analyses.

"Liv, who's DNA did you have tested," Stabler pressed, even more curious than before.

"Mine," she said, and then looked up at him. "I have a sister."

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

Three Months Later…

"Liv, are sure about this?" Stabler asked, for the countless time. Olivia knew he was just looking out for her, but his pestering was becoming annoying. If this is what it was like to have a sibling, she almost didn't want to go meet her sister.

"I'm sure El," she said, for what felt like the tenth time that day. She grabbed her duffle of her desk and made sure her sister's file was in there. "I'll be fine. I will only be gone for a few days, and it's not like she can hurt me."

"You don't know that," Elliot insisted.

They had been over this argument so many times since she announce she was going to visit her, that she could recite it in her sleep. "Yes, she is a murderer. Yes, she is in jail, and yes, I have to do this. I have to meet her, Eliot. She is the only family I have. Please, just call off the big brother routine and go have a nice time off with your family."

Eliot threw his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright. I'll reign in the big brother. Just know you do have family here, Liv. Kathy has been trying to get you to come over for dinner for years."

"I know. Something always gets in the way," Liv said, and then set her duffle back down. "When I get back, well have dinner, and I'll tell you all about my trip."

"Deal," Eliot said, and then open his arms for a hug. They weren't usually the touchy-feely types, especially at work, but he felt like this time it was warranted. She stepped into his arms, and for a moment, allowed herself to be embraced by somebody who wasn't a love interest or a victim. "Call me when you land, and when you leave for the jail, and when you leave her."

"You're doing it again," Olivia chuckled. She turned to grab her duffle, checking again that she had her sister's file, before heading outside to the cab that was waiting for her.

The ride to the airport was fairly quick considering she was in New York City. It was the plane ride that seemed to take forever. The closer she got to California, the more anxious she became. She tried to settle her mind by reading over her sister's file again. She had been struggling with how she was going to do this. She had dealt with a lot of criminals and her sister's file was pretty gruesome.

Faith Lehane, confessed to killing two men, one attempted murder, and several assaults. What bugged her the most about the file was what wasn't in the file. Like how the Sunnydale police knew to look for Faith. There wasn't an eye witnesses, no hot line tips, no DNA, no fingerprints, there wasn't even hair fibers linking her to Allen Finch. In fact, when Faith's case was taken to the judge, the only sliver of evidence they had on her was the breaking and entering and assault of her last victim. She just walked into the police station and openly confessed to crimes she hadn't even been accused of doing. Like the murder of Professor Lester Worth.

Why would she do that?

And on top of it all, she had only been sixteen when she committed those murders. There was so many questions floating around in her mind. There seemed to be two very different people portrayed in the file. One was a hardened criminal, and the other was a scared teenager. She wondered which one she would meet.

Before she met with Faith, she wanted to meet with the warden, Lila Fields. During her research she discovered the warden had been a decorated detective with the San Francisco police department. After retiring, she was hired on as a prison guard, and quickly worked her way up to the warden. Olivia was hoping that Lila could give her a good sense of how Faith was. She hoped that with her police background she could paint her a better picture in her mind, so when she did meet with Faith, she was better prepared.

Cause, god damn was she nervous.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

The next day, Olivia sat in the Warden's office, waiting for the woman to arrive. It had already been nearly an hour past their scheduled appointment, and Olivia was beginning to grow impatient. She had to turn in her gun at the front desk, leaving her feeling exposed. She had already been antsy and giving up her gun had only increased her agitation.

Thankfully, she hadn't kept her waiting too much longer. Lila Fields came barreling through her door at half-past one, mumbling under her breath, and looking quite disheveled. "Sorry. Sorry," she said as she threw a duffle bag filled with loud clinking items. "There wa a problem with on of the bunk searches. A couple of the girls weren't happy that the guards found their stashes and put up a fight. Thankfully it was only contained to one room, or else I would have had a riot on my hands."

The woman sat into her chair and smiled at Olivia. "Some days I miss being on the streets. People were less cranky then some of my girls. Though, I suppose you would rather be in my seat most days. Special Victims is not an easy unit to handle."

"No, it's not," Olivia agreed.

"So, what brings a New York detective to my prison?" The warden asked.

"I'm here to see one of your prisoners, but I wanted to get your perspective on her first," Olivia said.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do," Lila said, as she opened her laptop up. "What is her name?"

"Faith Lehane," Olivia said.

Lila chuckled and then closed her laptop. "Oh, Faith I know well. Question is, what do you want with her?"

Olivia knew that she was going to be asked that, and she debated on whether she should lie, or tell the truth. In the end, she figured the truth would get her farther than lying. "She's my sister."

Lila's eyes grew wide. "Now that I wasn't expecting. Faith has never mentioned having a sister."

Olivia eyed Lila carefully. She never heard of a prison warden who knew one of their wards enough to talk about family.

"I know that look," Lila laughed. "Don't worry detective. I'm not taking advantage of you sister. Faith is my file clerk slash assistant. She spends every morning with me. My way of making sure she stays out of trouble."

"Has she gotten into much trouble since arriving?"

"Well there was an incident just a few weeks after she arrived. Four of my lifers decided to break Faith in. It didn't turn out quite the way they thought. All four of them ended up in the infirmary, while Faith didn't have a scratch on her. She was mess when we found her though. Huddled on the floor crying like a baby. She just kept repeating, I'm sorry, over and over again. Doc gave her a sedative, and the next morning she was her usual brash tough self. I still can't get that image of her taking those women down like they were test dummies. Knew right then that she was different, and it was probably best to keep a close eye on her."

"It was caught on camera?" Olivia asked surprised.

"Yeah. Ruby ain't the smartest bulb," Lila said, and then she stood up and walked to her shelves to the left of her. She returned a minute later with cd in hand. She opened her laptop again and slipped the disk into the disk drive.

Once the disk loaded, Olivia could see Faith on the screen. She was rolling a caddy full of books down the hall towards the camera, when a tall thin blonde came out of nowhere and pushed Faith into the wall. Two more women, both were brunettes, but one was muscular and the other short and overweight, can be seen walk from behind Faith, and redhead came from where Faith was heading. There was no audio, but you could clearly see Faith said up and tell them to back off. She tries to leave but the muscular brunette stopped her, allowing the heavier brunette to push her again. She got up and again can be seen telling them to back off. As one, the four women closed in on Faith, throwing hit and kicks at random. Then suddenly, the blonde and redheaded women are set flying down the hallway as though they had been picked up by a tornado. The overweight brunette was suddenly picked up off the floor and held over Faith's head, before being tossed as well. The finale woman went to attack Faith, but Faith beat her to it with a single well place punch to the chest, sending her flying back into the wall."

"Like I said, Ruby ain't the smartest bulb," Lila said as she closed her laptop. "Faith hid in the bathroom. When we found her an hour later she was repeating, 'I'm sorry' over and over. It was clear self-defense, but with somebody who has that much power behind her punches, I had a problem on my hands. I sat her down, made it clear that if we had another incident, I would have to lock her in solitary. Seems to have worked. News spread like wild fire of Ruby's failed hit, giving Faith major street cred. Everybody is too afraid to try anything with her, and Faith hasn't even tried attack anybody. She's even managed to break up a few fights before the guards could get in there and use force."

"That doesn't sound like a murderer to me," Olivia comment quietly as she looked at the file in her lap.

"No. Faith has it in for sure, but she's been a model prisoner since then. She shows up every Monday-Friday to file my paperwork and answer my phones. She usually spends her yard time at the weights, benching more than I've seen grown men do. She sees her therapist twice a week without complaint, and I've been told that she is doing well. She's opening up, and even doing some of the exercises Doctor Basha has suggested. The rest of her time she spends either in the library or in her cell reading."

"Has she had any visitors?" Olivia asked.

"Just one. Guy by the name Angel… O'Connor, I think is his last name. He comes by once a month. She usually seems happier after she's seen him, but it's hard to tell with her. She's cocky as hell; witty as shit, and too damn smart for her own good most days. She's moody too. It's the grumpy days that make it hard to be around her. Reminds me that she's just a kid. A kid who is stuck in here for life."

"You seem close," Olivia observed.

"As close as I can get," Lila stated. "Close enough to know she doesn't have any family. So, why don't you tell me why you're really here."

Olivia chuckled, "Once a cop, always a cop."

"I see you did some research. Make me even more suspicious of why you're here."

Olivia opened the file she had on Faith and pulled out the kinship analysis results. She handed the paper to Lila, and said, "Faith doesn't know about me. I only found out a few months ago, when I had my M.E. run my DNA through the system."

"I heard about this," Lila said as she stared at the results. "Wish I had this when I was still on the force. Would have made my job a hell of lot easier." Lila handed the paper back to Olivia, with suspicion in her eyes. "Still begs the question why you're here?"

"Curiosity, I suppose. I never knew who my dad was. Maybe she did. Maybe she has the missing puzzle piece to my life, or maybe not. Perhaps I am just curious as to who she is."

"Fair enough," Lila said. "I found out my dad stepped out on my mom, and that I had a little brother when I was twenty-five. I was curious about him too." Lila picked up her phone and dialed a few numbers. "Bring Lehane to visiting room one." She hung up the phone, and then stood.

Lila quietly escorted Olivia through the jail, to the visiting rooms. "These are usually reserved for lawyer meetings, but I make an exception this one time. Yell for the guard if she doesn't take this well. The last thing we need is for her to go off the rails and hurt you."

"Got it," Olivia said, and then went into the room. She sat at the table quietly. She was nervous. Probably more nervous then she had been in a long time. The only family she had growing up was her mom, and they didn't always see eye-to-eye. She had been distant to her, and at time dismissive and uncaring. She was about to meet somebody who shared her own blood. Somebody who could shed some light on the missing part of her heritage."

After what felt like an hour, the door opened and in walked a young brunette, and Olivia found herself taking in every feature if her. Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders, long and curly. She was wearing a blue prison uniform, with the top few buttons of her shirt undone, revealing her white tank top. She was pale, with dark shadows under her eyes, as though she wasn't sleeping enough. She stood stock still as she eyed Olivia.

"Don't know if they told you, but I'm already in here for life. Really no reason to pin anything else on me," she said. Her voice was deep and had a cocky tone to it. Smart too. She instantly knew she was a cop. Olivia could see what Lila meant about her.

"I'm not here to try and bust you for anything," Olivia said. "I would like to talk to you about a few things though."

Faith stepped forward. She grabbed the chair gently and sat, folding her arms in front of her. "Don't have much of a choice. I'm here until you tell the guards to take me back. So. What does a pretty cop like you, want with a criminal like me?"

"I'm not her as a detective today," Olivia said. She had been planning this visit for over a month now, going over every word she was going to say, and every reaction she could possibly get from Faith. At that moment, not a single one of them was coming to mind. She just opened her mouth and allowed words to flow out. "My name in Olivia Benson, and I'm here because I wanted to meet my sister."

Faith remain stoic for a moment and then she let out a deep, belly rumbling laugh. "Yo, that's a good joke."

"I'm not joking," Olivia insisted, as she pushed the kinship analysis results across the table. "I had my DNA tested against those who were in the system, and yours was a paternal match to mine. I really am your sister."

Faith looked up from the results, and then slid it back over. "Look, I don't know what you thought you'd get by coming here, but I'm not big with the family types. All they do is disappoint ya."

Olivia studied Faith's body like she would a perp's. Faith was ridged, too ridged, like she was holding herself back. Making sure not to show what she was feeling. She could understand why. Cops tend to be a prisoner's worst enemy, but then again, Faith had made nice with the head of the prison. So, it must be something else.

She flipped open Faith's file and pushed it across the table. "I came to see what you knew about our father. I want to know if you are who you are because of him."

Faith's eye flicked down at the file and back up again. "Don't know. Never knew the guy. I see you did your research though. Kudos to you. Though, you should have looked a little deeper." She pushed the file back towards Olivia. "Ma never told me about him and I sure as hell didn't have him around to save me from her drunk ass. Since you're here asking question about him, I'm guessing he pulled the deadbeat dad routine with you too."

Olivia placed her hand over the file, and then looked at Faith, eyeing her closely. A sour taste overtook her senses. Faith was like her, a product of her mother's rape, and she clearly didn't know that. For a moment she paused, debating whether she wanted the responsibility of having to tell Faith that. She's done it before, but it rarely has ended well. It was a hard pill to swallow.

Faith was looking at her like she was annoyed as hell. She probably was. Olivia sure as hell was the night her mother struggled to tell her about her father. They had just had yet another fight the night before. Serena had been drunk, not that it was anything new. She was always drunk when she was home. Serena was angry with Olivia for not having the good sense to make something to eat, and Olivia was even more angry that her mother was drunk and picking a fight.

In a rare moment of lucidity, her mother had told her that her father had raped her. At first, Olivia thought she was fucking with her. Another way to hurt her, because she was hurting. Then, as she watched Serena's movements and the way her voice shook and got stuck in her throat, she realized that her mother was speaking the truth.

In that moment Olivia felt like her mother had kicked her in the stomach. Everything she had ever thought about her mother came rolling down to that one little fact. Her mother's increasing need for alcohol, the way she was always looking at her with such distain, if she was even looking at her at all. She had spent so many years wondering what she had done that was so horrible even her own mother could hate her, and in that moment, she got her answer. Her big horrible crime was being the product of the worst night of her mother's life. A constant reminder of the man who took everything away from her.

And now, she was about to do the same to sister.

"My… Our father…" she paused and took a deep breath. This had never been this hard before, but it also never involved her or a family member before either. "He raped her. Our father… he was a rapist. I never knew him because I was the result of my mother's rape. I don't know who he is because they never caught the guy."

Faith was silent. Her breathing was unsteady though, which gave her tumbling feeling away. Most wouldn't have caught that, but Olivia wasn't most people. Faith's stoic stature slowly melted showing Faith's true age. It was then that Olivia realized what Lila had meant when she said she was just a kid, a notion Olivia had been trying to ignore.

"Damn," Faith yelled suddenly. She stood kicking her chair backwards with suck force it chipped a piece of the brick wall behind her. The three guards stationed outside the room came rushing in the room circling Faith all pointing taser guns at her, who suddenly threw her arms in the air. "I'm good. It's good boys. All good. Just lost my cool for a second. Won't happen again."

The tall balding black cop holstered his taser and motioned for his comrades to do the same. "It better not Faith. You know what the Warden said. You hurt the detective and you'll spend a month in solitary."

"Yeah. I know Jimmy. I'm good," Faith replied.

"Alright Faith, just remember, I'm right outside that door," Jimmy said, before he and the other two guards slowly left the room.

Faith turned to the chair she had kicked and then growled lightly to herself. She had lost her cool and displayed just how strong she is. The chair not only chipped the wall, it also had a bent leg. "Damn, cheap metal," She growled as she went over the window where two more chairs were sitting out of the way. She pulled one over and sat back down.

"Sorry," she said. She reached into tank and pulled out a pack of smokes. "Got a light?"

Olivia shook her head, "No. Sorry."

"Damn," She said, and then went back to the door. She banged on it, making sure not to put too much force into her punches, and waited. A second later Jimmy opened the door and took a step in. He handed her a lighter, without her asking for one, and then stepped back out.

She strolled back to her seat as she lit the cigarette tucked between her lips. She took a deep drag and then sat down, setting the lighter on the table as she did. "Jimmy's the best," she declared. She took a few more drags before she looked back to Olivia again. "Make sense now," she said, and then put the cigarette in her mouth and let it rest there. "Why she hated me so much. I always knew it, but damn if anybody believed me. Always dreamed he would come rescue me. Take me to a better life, ya know. Guess that wouldn't have happened, even if he had shown up."

She took a long drag, then flicked the ass on the table next to her. "As for me being like that bastard, maybe, maybe not. I like being in control and damned a man if he tries to steal it from me. Not really into the whole without consent thing though. I could have taken Red. She was right there, her pretty little virgin self, looking and smelling damn good. Her heart speed up when she saw me. Maybe she was excited by the prospect of having my hands on her, or maybe she was terrified that I'd kill her. For some there ain't much of a distinction. I liked Red. She didn't give me the same song and dance like the rest of them. She spoke her mind and had the balls to stand up to me. Definitely earned some cred for that. I could have had my way with her like I had Xander, but I don't think I could ever be that evil. I probably would have killed her though, if the boss hadn't of stepped in and stopped me."

Faith laughed coldly. "But that's why you're here, right? You could have call and got the information you needed about good ol' daddy. I mean I never knew the guy… No. I bet you're just like B. Terrified that one day you'll become the very thing you hunt. I bet you lie awake at night, chasing your demons in the shadows on your ceiling. I bet you flew all the way cross country to see if you could use those cop skills of yours to see if I had any good in me. Hate to disappoint, sis, but this is who I am. I am a murderer. Maybe I got it from him, or maybe it was my shitty childhood. Either way, we won't ever know, cause neither of us know who the dude is."

She stamped out her smoke, and brushed away the ashes, then looked into the woman's eyes. "It was nice meeting you and all, but I think I've had enough." She stood up and went to the door. She banged three times, and then looked back at Olivia. "I hope you find what your looking for, but it ain't gonna be with me."

Jimmy stepped into the room. "Time to go, Jimmy-boy," Faith said. She tossed him the lighter back. Jimmy looked to Olivia for confirmation, who just nodded her head yes. It was clear to her, that she wasn't going to get anywhere with Faith. She saw no reason to hold her against her will.

"It's yard time," Faith said as she walked through the door, allowing the heavy door to close with a thud.

Olivia sat in the room for a few minutes before she got up and exited, allowing a guard to escort her back to the main entrance.


	2. Detours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, SVU, or any of the characters portrayed in my story.
> 
> AN: I forgot to say that the Buffy timeline has been shifted to coincide with the SVU timeline. Season five now takes place in 2006-2007. The story starts around June of 2007.
> 
> I am absolutely floored by the amount of response I got from the first chapter. So many reviews. I don't think I have ever gotten that many on a single chapter before. WOW! Thank you all so very much.
> 
> This chapter wasn't intended to be here, but I was inspired by wizathogwarts. So, Liv made a huge detour in her trip. This chapter is a bit darker than I anticipated, and probably a bit boring, but it leads into the next chapter. I apologize again for any mistakes I may have missed.

Faith was angry.

No. Faith was furious.

Faith was so furious that she accidentally split her dinner tray into two pieces when another inmate bumped into her, spilling her whole meal down her front and all over the floor.

Faith was so furious that when said inmate did this to her, she purposely grabbed the woman by her collar and tossed her across the room like a rag doll.

That was how Faith landed in solitary confinement, which only made her anger increase. You see, the majority of Faith's anger was directed towards herself. Sure, she was angry that her dickhead dad raped her mom, and that's how she came into existence. You'd be a cold heart bastard if you weren't angry about that. No, her anger was how she lost it on that cop.

Her sister. What a surprise that was!

Why was she so angry at herself for exhibiting a normal human response, you ask? Well, she was angry because she showed her sister a normal human response. Cops were relentless at times. She knew that better than most. And this cop just happened to share her blood, which means she wasn't going to stop. Sure, she played it off how evil she is well, but she had still shown a glimpse of the person she could be. Of the person she wanted to be. Angel had been the same way with her. He saw a glimpse of Faith's humanity lying just beneath the surface, and he refused to give up on her.

Faith refused to drag another good person into her shitty life. It was better if Olivia thought she was evil to the core, rather than believe there was hope for her being good. No matter how much good Faith did, it would never be enough to make up for the lives she took. Never. That stain would stay on her soul until the day she died.

Still, she understood how Olivia was feeling. She saw it in her eyes. That hope that maybe she would finally have somebody to connect with on a different level. They shared the same blood, and because off that here were bound to be a few characteristics that they had in common. She saw it Dawn and Buffy, though neither of them would admit how much alike they were. One thing that was for sure was that Buffy would do anything to make sure Dawn was alright.

She also saw it with Jane, her first watcher, and her older sister when she would come to visit. Despite being four years apart, and two very different people, there were moments where they could have been twins. They had the same laugh, same even temperament and soft-spoken voice. They were both into the same tv shows, thought Jane's sister Lacie was more into movies. She would pick Faith up at least once a week and take her to the movie theaters.

She knew that some of this could have come from them growing up together, but there were somethings that were simply biological.

Faith missed Jane and Lacie, who had moved Florida just a few weeks before Jane's death. They had become her family. The first true family she had even known. Jane was dead now because of her. Killed because she was careless on a hunt and led Kakistos' goons straight to her. She had killed the only person who had treated her like a daughter. She was terrified of Kakistos, but Lacie is why she fled Boston for warmer pastures. She couldn't face the woman she had begun calling aunt, knowing she was the reason her sister was dead.

Faith could see the need for a family in Olivia's eyes, but that could never be Faith. Death followed her like a cancer. Sometime metaphorically, and other times for real. She would only cause Olivia pain. Faith was angry that she had given Olivia a glimpse because now she might come back. She might try and get into Faith's soul, and Faith was positive she would ruin hers.

Faith was also angry because she let Lila down. Lila wasn't like most cops, or in this case former. Lila was cool with her. Yeah, she knew that Lila only started keeping her close because they got a glimpse of the power she possesses, but she liked to think that Lila had become somewhat of a friend. A friend that had a built-in safeguard from the evil within her. She was the head of a woman's prison. She knew what Faith was capable of, and because of that she would never get close enough to be destroyed by her. Still, it hurt knowing she had fucked up. Lila put a lot of trust in Faith, and she failed to oblige to the one thing Lila wanted. Her not to attack the other inmates.

Angel was another reason she was so angry with herself. He believed in her. Put his, for a lack of a better word, faith in her. He truly believed that she could be good. Sure, he would understand why she went dark for a moment, but he would still hold her to a higher standard.

A higher standard that she held herself to, and broke. She was most angry with herself over that. She had lost her temper not once, but twice in a matter of a few hours, and now there was somebody else that she hurt. She didn't even know if the woman was dead or alive. She hoped that she hadn't killed her when she flung her. The woman had landed to far away from her to get a proper look, and then the guard had swarmed on her, all looking too terrified to come too close. Thankfully she had calmed down, or there would have been several guards added to her list.

So, Faith was sitting in a darken hole, stewing in her own guilt and self-hate, waiting for somebody to come let her out. Though she was sure that wouldn't happen anytime in the near future.

BTVS-SVU-BTVS-SVU-BTVS

That night, Olivia laid in her hotel bed staring at the ceiling, chasing her demons as Faith had put it. At that moment, that's exactly what it felt like. When she walked into the prison she had been expecting to leave with a missing puzzle piece. Instead, she had left with more holes than she had filled.

She sighed heavily and turned onto her side. The glowing red numbers from the digital clock sitting on her bedside table glared at her tauntingly. 3:27 am. She had been laying there for hours playing her encounter with Faith over and over in her mind.

The looked on her Faith's face haunted her to the core. Despite the convincing act Faith had put on for her, she could see the truth in Faith's eyes. She was just a kid begging for something, anything to give her a reason to keep going. She had seen that look in her eyes that the victims she tried to help every day had. She saw past the façade that Faith tried to trick her with, and it was because of that, that she was chasing her demons again. Only this time, her demons were Faith's as well.

BTVS-SVU-BTVS-SVU-BTVS

She wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep. One seconds she was watching the clock glare tauntingly at her, then the next thing she was being startled awake by a bang at her hotel door. She reached under her pillow and produced her gun, then hesitantly made her way to the door. She opened the door a crack to find that it was just a servant bringing her the breakfast she requested the night before. She relaxed and opened the door while hiding her gun behind her back.

"Good morning," the young man said. He looked to be no older than Faith, his beard was patchy and thin, pimples ran along his forehead, and he work round black rimmed glassed that reminded her of the Harry Potter movies she watched when she watched with Eliot's twins a few months back. He smiled shyly as he rolled the cart into the room, before quietly leaving again.

She sighed heavily as she set her gun on the night stand, glancing at the clock as she did. Just after eight. She handed it to the hotel, they were efficient. Her breakfast was delivered right when she asked them to, though she wasn't hungry at that moment.

Nightmares had plagued her sleep, causing her already sleep deprived body to feel like she was carrying around a ton of bricks on her head. She laid back down, hoping for just another minute of rest. As her head hit the pillow her phone begun to ring. She reached over to the nightstand and flopped her hand around until the phone was in her grasps. She opened it without seeing who it was

"Benson."

"Hey Liv," She heard Eliot's voice, and then groaned in regret. She had been so consumed with Faith that she had forgot to call him after she got back to the hotel. "You never called. Was starting to get worried."

"I'm sorry El," she mumbled.

"I take it, it didn't go so well," he stated.

"You could say that," she sighed.

"Are you coming home then?"

She sighed again as she sat up, swinging her legs over the side. "No. You should have seen her El. She is strong. Like super human. She kicked her chair backwards so hard it chipped the cement wall and bent the chair leg. I could see that she was capable of murder, but there is something about her. She put on a show for me. Like she was trying to scare me away, but I could see it in her eyes. She's desperate for somebody to care about her. I just can't leave yet. At least not until I have done everything I can to get through to her."

"Super sister Liv to the rescue," Eliot joked, and then cough to cover his laugh. "Just be careful Liv. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I will be," she said.

"Good. I gotta go Liv. Kathy and I are taking the kids to the beach. A little end of the year celebration," he said.

"Have fun," she said. She closed her flip-phone, then tossed it on the end of the bed. She groaned and rubbed at her stinging eyes. Her stomach rumbled, adding another thing to her misery. At least that was something she could fix. She stood and went to the cart. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted from the plate as she removed the silver cover.

She grabbed her phone off the bed a walked to the window, gazing out over the city. She dialed Munch's number and waited impatiently for him to pick up.

"Munch," he answered gruffly.

"Munch. It's Benson. I need you to do me a favor," Olivia said.

"Aren't you supposed to be on vacation?" Munch asked.

"Vacation doesn't really agree with me," she chuckled.

"I know what you mean," Munch replied. "So, what do you need me to do?"

"I need you to do a check for me. The name's Angel O'Connor."

There was a pause, then Munch said, "I'll dig up what I can and give you a call back."

"Thanks Munch," she said. She closed the phone and then turned to begin her day.

An hour later, Olivia was freshly showered, dressed and on her way out the door. While Munch completed his search for Angel O'Connor, she was going to head to Sunnydale to see if she could get a sense of who Faith was before the death of Allen Finch.

She grabbed her duffle, and made her was to the door, her eyes sweeping the room to make sure she didn't forget anything. She wouldn't be back to Stockton until at least the next day. She had at least a five-hour drive ahead of her and didn't plan on leaving until she found everything she wanted to know.

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Faith had only been in the windowless cell for less than twenty-four hours, but she was already driving herself mad. She could sense that the sun was up, but as to the time of day, she had no clue. She tried to keep herself busy by doing push-up, sit-ups, and karate moves. She had even tried some of the yoga poses she had read about in a book. Unfortunately, the more she did, they more anxious she became. For the first time since arriving at the prison she felt like a caged animal begging to break free.

When she had first turned herself in, she was positive that she wasn't going to be able to cope with being locked behind bars, being told what to do and when to do it. That's why she chose to turn herself over to the police instead of going with the Council's goons. She was going to have to force herself to stay, even if she couldn't deal with it. It was her penance for the horrible things she had done.

Faith realized rather quickly that she would be able to cope much better than she had thought. Sure, it sucked being told when to go to bed, when to wake up, where to be, and when to be there. There was something about being in there that helped her.

The storm that had been raging inside of her since the death of her watcher, dissipated as she grew into her new routine. She even kinda enjoyed talking to her therapist twice a week. She could say whatever she wanted to the chick and she had to sit there and listen. What's better than that?

Up until that moment, the only issue she had been presented with was the food. Well not really the food, rather the lack of food she was permitted. As a slayer she could go a few days without food before it started causing issues, unlike a human who could barely go through a day before levels dropped and bad things started to happen. When you take away a substantial amount of food from a slayer on a regular basis, things get a little dicey. For Faith, that meant that she had to eat at least twice the amount of food a human could, otherwise she started to look like a normal person after they fasted for a month.

Angel helped by putting money into her commissary each month, and she got a few bucks from working in the warden's office. With that money she was able to buy snacks and Ramon noodles. It wasn't much but it helped to sustain her enough to not starve. The barter system helped with that as well. You can get a lot of food with a pack of smokes.

As Faith paced in the sparsely lit cell, she didn't know what she wanted more, food or a cigarette. All she knew for sure was the storm that had depleted as she grew into prison life was back with vengeance. If she didn't get out of that cell soon, she wasn't sure how long she could last before thunder started rolling.

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The car ride from Stockton to Sunnydale had been long and tiring, leaving Olivia grateful when she finally passed the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign on the outskirts of town. She followed her GPS through the streets of the small town to the motel Faith had been living at when the cops first questioned her about Allen Finch's murder. She parked the car, and stepped out slowly, not entirely believing the GPS had brought her to the right address.

She stared up at the run-down, two story dingy motel with disgust. This is where her sister had stayed? It was worse than some of the places she had found perps. The paint was peeling away from the walls in chunks, the vacancy sign was hanging onto its post by mere cords, threating to fall at any moment, and the office door was hanging open, with only one hinge holding the door up.

She reached into the car and pulled out her GPS and the file she had on Faith, and double checked that she had inputted the right address. She groaned as she realized she was at the right place. This was where Faith was staying when she killed Allen Finch. She replaced the GPS but kept the file in hand. She locked the car up, thankful that it was still light out.

Olivia walked into the office carefully, afraid that the build would come crumbling down on her head. There was a man sitting behind the counter, watching tv and smoking a cigar, the smoke wafting to the ceiling in think circles and waves. He didn't notice her step through the door, which wasn't a surprise. She wasn't sure how the man could see his tv through the thick smoke flowing from his mouth.

"Excuse me," she said loudly, but he seemed to not hear her. She knocked on the counter and repeated herself. He jumped that time, looking to her with fear in his eyes. Then as though he realized that she wasn't a danger, relaxed and made his way to the counter, leaving his cigar in the ashtray on the coffee table his feet had been propped on.

"Sorry," the man grumbled. "You looking for a room?"

"Actually no," she said, then slipped a picture of Faith across the counter to him. "I'm looking for information on this girl."

The man picked up the picture, eyed it closely, and then scoffed. "You're a year too late lady. Faith got picked up bought a year ago, I think. Heard she was the one who killed the Deputy Mayor."

"You know who she is then?"

"Sure, I do. Rented a room to her for about six month's two years ago. That girl has some spunk. Don't take no for an answer. Always knew she was trouble."

Olivia pulled her note pad and pen out of her pocket. "How so?"

"She was always showing up with tears and blood on her clothing. Couple times I saw her she had bruises on her face, and her knuckles were all tore up."

"Did you ever ask her if she was alright?"

The man scoffed, "It wasn't my place to ask. As long as she was paying me my money, she could do whatever the hell she wanted."

"And you didn't have a problem renting a room to a fifteen-year-old?"

"She had ID that said she was twenty-three, and damn if that girl didn't look it," he replied.

Olivia ignored his comment. "Is her room available?"

"Sure is," he snarked. "Can't really rent it in the state she left it in."

"What do you mean?" She asked alarmed.

"The bitch tore the room apart," he growled.

Anger flared inside Olivia, but she kept her cool. The last thing she need was to get arrested in California for attacking a civilian. "Can I see her room please?"

The man reached under the counter and produced the keys to Faith's room, but didn't slid them over. "You can see her room for twenty-five dollars a night."

"But you just said…" Olivia took a deep breath and pulled out her wallet. She threw a twenty and five onto the counter, and snatched the keys away from the man. Before he could say anything, she turned and left.

She looked at the keys to see which room number she was heading, before heading back to her car to grab her camera. She had decided back in New York that she was going to visit Sunnydale to get a better feel for Faith, and thought the camera might be a good idea.

Once she had the camera bag in hand, she headed for Faith's room, which was on the ground floor to her left. As she approached the door she noticed there was a hole in the door. Expecting it closely, it looked as though somebody had taken an axe to it. She raised her digital camera and snapped a few shots, before unlocking the broken door and shuffled in.

The manager hadn't been kidding when he said the room was torn apart. The dresser draws were scattered across the room, mostly broken to bits, but a few still intact. The bed had tears in the mattress, right down to the springs. If Olivia didn't know better, she would say they were claw marks. There was blood pooled on the floor, just in front on the bathroom door, with splatter marks all around.

In the bathroom, there was a torn, bloody tank top, and a pair of dark blue jeans lying forgotten on the floor. Faded pink splotches were covering the sink and bathtub, and a clear as day bloody hand print on the wall outside the shower. She didn't know what happened here, but it was bad, and it wasn't recent.

Olivia raised her camera and snapped as many photos as she could, before searching through the room for any items Faith may have left there. She was surprised to find that there were only a few things in the room. An antique dagger under the mattress, a dirty tank top beneath the bed, a cross bow hidden behind her night stand, the bolts to go with it were in the night stand draw, along with a box of condoms, and a medical grade first aid kit in the only dresser draw that hadn't been chucked across the room.

The items she found only increased her curiosity about Faith, and her destroy motel room. There was something off here, and she wanted to know what it was.

Olivia collected all the items, except for the condoms, and carried them to her car. She didn't know why Faith had those weapons in her room, but she couldn't leave them behind. Perhaps they had been a gift, or perhaps they were weapons Faith had used on people. Either way, she wanted answers, and these might help get them.

Olivia looked down at her watch and saw that she had spent over an hour in her sister's motel room. Between the drive to Sunnydale and her investigation into the room, she needed a rest. She decided to go check into the small hotel across town, and then head out for some food. That way she could get a feel for Sunnydale and what the small town had to offer.

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Faith could feel the sun setting beyond the thick walls of her prison cell. She pressed herself up against the wall, imagining the orange glow being cast was reflecting off her skin. Sunlight was a slayers gift. It reminded her that she was human, instead of the things she hunted. It gave her a strength that a vampire could achieve. Life.

Now as she kneeled in the dark cell, she felt weak. She had never apricated the sunlight more than she did at that moment. That moment where she couldn't see it, where she could feel it on her skin.

She had screwed up, and now she was suffering for it. Alone in the dark cell with nothing but her troubled mind to keep her occupied. It had only been a day, and she was already driving herself mad. Without the aid of a stable daily life, the storm that had once raged inside of her had returned. She had exercised herself into exhaustion, but still her mind raced, her chest tightened, and sleep alluded her. She prayed that Lila wouldn't keep her in there for long. She feared what might happen if she lost all grip on reality once more.


	3. Searching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I apologize for the long wait. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. I have never written Willow while she held distain for Faith. It was a new writing style for me. I hope I did a good job at it.
> 
> Also, so there is no confusion. I have moved the Buffy time to have season five coincide with SVU season eight. So, at this point of the story, Buffy is dead.

Olivia had a bad feeling. Ever since she crossed the threshold for Sunnydale California, she felt like she had a bad case of the shivers, which is impossible considering the weather was warm and dry. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something about the town was not right.

The Bronze, Sunnydale's only night club, was already packed to max by the time she entered. People of all ages were chatting in various spots around the vast room, a group of teenage boys were playing on the club's only pool table, and girls and boys alike were dancing in front of the stage, where an all girl group were playing. She was fairly certain most of the people holding beers were underaged, giving her an advantage. She could use this information if it seemed as though the crew were lying to her.

She zig-zagged through the swarm of clubbers to the bar. There were two people serving behind the glass counter. One older, maybe mid-thirties with sandy blonde hair and a Dingoes Ate My Baby t-shirt. The other was a younger woman, her brown hair was pulled in a high ponytail, a pair of rectangular glasses rested on her nose, and she was wearing a simple black tank.

She pulled out the picture of Faith and slide it across the counter top to the young woman. "Do you know this girl?"

The woman picked up the photo and looked at it for a moment. "Sorry. Haven't seen her, but I haven't been here long." She then turned to her partner and handed him the photo. "This lady's asking about this girl."

The man looked at the photo and then smiled. "Yeah. I know Faith. She used to be in here nearly every night picking up some guy or girl. I haven't seen her for a while though." He handed her the photo back. "Question is, why are you asking?"

Olivia pocketed the photo. "I'm her sister. Just trying to get to know her a little better."

"Well I don't know how much I can tell you, other than what she drank and the type of men she liked."

"Anything you know about her would be greatly appreciated," Olivia coaxed.

The man looked at Olivia wearily, before nodding his head. "She hasn't been for away. Two years maybe. She showed up in October of O-four I think and was in here almost every night for about six months 'til she disappeared."

"Was she ever here with anybody?"

"Most of the time she was alone. Sometimes she came in with her blonde friend and her friends. Other times it was just the two of them."

"The blonde friend, was her name Buffy?" Olivia asked.

The man looked at Olivia with further suspicion. "Yeah. I think that's her name. It's been a few months since I've seen her too. Happens a lot around here."

"Is there anybody here who knew her better?"

The man looked around the room and then pointed to the end of the stage were a tall, buff man with light brown skin stood. "Try Skip. He hooked up with Faith as few times. He might have more information for ya."

"Thanks," Olivia said, and turned away from the bartender. She approached the young man slowly, giving her a chance to size him up. He was young, maybe mid-twenties. He held himself high, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, searching for any signs of trouble. She was mere feet away from him when his steel grey eyes locked onto her own dark brown eyes.

He didn't wait for her to stop before he began talking. "Whatever you want, you can forget about it. I don't deal with cops."

"Than it's good thing I'm not here as a cop," she replied smoothly. She held up the picture for him to see. "I was told you knew this girl."

Skip hesitantly took the photo from Olivia and observed it closely," Yeah. I know Faith," he replied, and then handed her photo back. "I haven't seen her in two years, so I don't know how much help I can be."

Olivia pocketed the photo and then pulled out her note pad. "Anything you can tell me can help."

Skip looked at Olivia with suspicion. "I liked Faith. Which is why I'm not about to rat on her to a cop."

"Look, I'm not here as a cop, I'm here as her sister," Olivia replied. "Of course, I could let the local P.D. know that you like to pick up sixteen-year-olds."

"Look, lady. All the tail I get is legal. I make sure of it. I'm not about to get popped for having a little fun."

"Then you might want to take a closer look, because Faith just turned eighteen in December," quipped Olivia.

Skip's cool demeaner cracked with a look of surprise. "I… Look I didn't know. She had an ID that said she was twenty-three."

"I'm not here to pop you," Olivia assured him. "Look. I am just trying to get to know my sister a little better but learning about her past. That's all."

Skip looked relieved. "Fine. Ask away."

"How well did you know Faith?"

"About as well as she'd let me," Skip replied. "We hooked up a couple of times. Faith was a hell of a lay, but she not big with the after. We'd screw and then she be gone."

"How often was she in here?"

"A lot. Almost every night I worked. Sometimes she'd only be here for a few minutes. She come in, dance with a few people, then be off again, usually with somebody in tow. Girl or guy. Faith wasn't picky about who she picked up."

"Was she ever with a blonde girl?"

"You mean Buffy?" he asked. Olivia nodded her head. "Well yeah. They were in here a lot before Faith stopped coming by. Usually later in the night."

"Were they ever with anybody else?"

"Willow was with them sometimes. Mostly when the Dingoes were playing."

"Do you know her last name?"

Skip shook his head, "Sorry. Oz never said."

"Who is Oz?"

"He was the base player for the Dingoes but haven't seen him around lately. I haven't seen any of them around lately actually. Last I heard his girl was starting college so that doesn't surprise me."

"Can you describe Willow for me?"

"Um…Sure. She has red hair, is about your height, maybe a little shorter, and skinny as a rod."

"Is there anything else you can tell me about Faith?"

"Faith was wild, but I really didn't know her that well," Skip answered.

Olivia closed her note pad. "Well thank you for your time." She pocketed her not pad and turned to walk away. The detective in her propelled her to turn back around and command, "Double check that the girl's you're hooking up with are legal."

Skip nodded his head and watched Olivia as she made her way through the club and out the door.

Olivia returned to her car and sat there going over what she learned, or the lack there of. She got the feeling that Faith didn't like to get close to anybody. She hoped that Buffy would be able to shed better light on her sister.

Before she made the trip to California, she had made sure to get Buffy's address and a brief history on the woman. Unfortunately, it was far too late to make a house call. With little rest the night before, she was desperate for a good night's rest.

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The sun was rising. Faith could feel the tickling at the base of her skull. Normally she didn't even notice it, but that morning she couldn't ignore it. Her cell was completely dark sans the light seeping through the measly cracks around the door and her meal flap. The guards had yet to turn on the dim lights that would light her cell during the day.

She slept very little the night before. Her dreams… No, her nightmares, caused her to wake several times through out the night. After a while, she just laid on her cot, watching the imaginary shadows on her walls, listening to the guards passing by her steel door.

She knew she could escape at any moment. A well-placed kick to the door, would knock it down, freeing her from the hell that she had created. Still, she stayed, knowing that it was her actions that lead to the precarious position she was in. After all, nobody said the road to redemption was going to be easy. This was her penance to pay.

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Olivia stood on the side walk in front of 1630 Revello Drive, staring up at the big, two story house, wondering how her street savvy sister from Boston, ended up being friends with a middle-class Californian. After a few moment of contemplation, she stepped forward with determination. Last night's excursion to the Bronze yielded little information, but it had least given her a new name to research. Perhaps Willow could give her further insight in Faith.

She knocked on the door and waited for somebody to answer. The person who opened the door was a surprise. Staring back at her was the very girl described to her at the club the night before. "Willow?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes," the red head answered with equal surprise, and a little curiosity, in her voice. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can. I was actually looking for Buffy. Is she's here?" Olivia said.

A brief look of sorrow crossed the young woman's face features, before her features formed a look of resolve. The look of sorrow may have been quick, but it wasn't quick enough for the detective, who noted the look, as well as the forced look being pointed at her.

"I'm sorry. Buffy isn't home at the moment. She's out of town. Is there anything I can I help you with?" Willow replied politely.

"Actually, there is," Olivia replied. "I thought it would be harder to find you. I was only given you first name. I'd like to ask you a few questions about Faith Lehane, if I may."

Willow suddenly looked alarmed. "Did she escape?" she asked frantic.

Olivia replied. "No. Faith is safely tucked away."

"Oh," Willow said relieved, and then spat, "Good."

The venom in Willow's voice surprised Olivia. "I take it you're not a fan."

"You could say that," Willow replied.

A voice could be heard in the voice, followed by footsteps that grew louder. "Willow, I don't know what to do," The voice said. "Dawnie won't come out of Buffy's room." There was a pause before the voice said, "Oh. W-who's at the d-door?"

Willow opened the door wider revealing a curvy dirty blonde-haired woman. "I don't know, baby. She hasn't introduced herself. She's asking questions about Faith."

"Oh…" The woman said, looking concerned. "Are you a d-detective?"

"I am a detective with the New York City police force, however I'm here on a person matter," Olivia replied.

"Can I s-see your badge?" the woman asked.

"Sure," Olivia said, and pulled out her wallet. She handed it to the mysterious blonde and waited quietly for her to look it over.

She handed it back to her. "Sorry, you c-c-can never be too s-sure,"

"That's alright. I understand the need and encourage people to check. As you said, you can never be to sure," Olivia said. "I'm Olivia Benson, with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, but I'm not here on official business. This is a personal matter."

The blonde woman stuck her hand out and said, "I'm Tara McClay."

Olivia shook the offered hand, "It's a pleasure."

"Why are you asking q-questions about Faith?" Tara asked.

"I'm just trying to get a sense of who Faith was while she was in town," Olivia replied.

"Friend stealing, killer, slut bomb, just about covers it," Willow sneered.

"Willow," Tara chided softly.

"What?" Willow asked, looking to Tara.

Before Tara could say a word, Olivia stepped in. "Look. I know Faith wasn't a good person. I'm just looking for any answers you are willing to give."

"Fine," Willow said and then stepped to the side and gestured for her to enter. "Can we get you anything drink? I was making Tara tea when you knocked."

"Tea would be nice, thank you," Olivia responded, as she was led into the living room.

Willow left the room, leaving Olivia alone with Tara. Olivia discreetly looked around the room as she went to sit in one of the rooms two arm chairs. As she sat she notice a portrait on the wall behind the TV to her right. A young girl, maybe preteens was standing next to a blonde a few years older than her, with an older dirty blonde standing behind them.

"Is that Buffy?" Olivia asked pointing at the picture.

Tara turned to look at where Olivia was pointing, and Olivia swore she saw a sad look cross her face. When she looked back, the look was gone. "Y-y-yes," Tara stuttered heavily.

"Willow said she was out of town. Do you know when she will be back?"

"N-no. I'm s-sorry," Tara said.

Willow entered the living room carrying the tea kettle and cups on a tray. "It'll be a few weeks. She's gone to try and find her father."

"Is he missing?" Olivia asked.

"They haven't been in touch for a while," Willow said, as she set the tray on the coffee table. She handed Olivia a mug. "She's been trying to get in contact with him but has been unsuccessful."

As Olivia reached into her pocket to retrieve her note pad, Willow poured the steaming water in her mug. "So, what do you want to know?" she asked.

"I'd like to know who she was before she killed Allen Finch, and what led up to it."

Willow flopped into the second arm chair with a huff. "I don't know how she was right before she killed the deputy mayor. She was spending all of her time with Buffy."

"Did you get along with her at all?"

"At first," Willow said, and then smiled softly. "There was just something about her. She breezed into town and hoodwinked us all, except for Buffy of course. She didn't trust Faith at first, but Faith slowly won her over. Wish she would have stuck with her gut. Would have saved us a lot of time and energy when Faith went psycho."

"Were Buffy and Faith close?" Olivia asked.

"About as close as Faith would let Buffy be, before she went and started killing people," Willow replied.

"Do you know why Faith killed Allen Finch?"

Willow sipped her tea hesitantly, a motion that Olivia quickly caught. Willow was taking her time to answer.

"It was an accident," she said after a few moments. "Killing Finch was an accident, but it was what came after that made Faith evil."

"Evil? That's a strong word," Olivia commented.

"Not strong enough," Willow growled. "Faith betrayed everyone who even gave the slightest bit of a damn about her. She went and joined somebody who was trying to hurt Buffy, she used Xander as a plaything, she held a knife to my throat, she tried to kill Buffy's boyfriend, and then she tried to kill Buffy."

Despite the fact that she had memorized Faith's jacket, Olivia flipped to the back of her note pad where she had written all of Faith's crimes. She read through the list, looking for any of what Willow had just told her. Just as she thought, there were no mention of any of the crimes Willow just claimed.

"None of this was in Faith's police report," Olivia said.

"Why would it be?" Willow asked. She set her cup down on the table and hummed lightly. "Sunnydale PD were useless and in the pocket of our corrupt mayor Wilkens. After Faith killed Finch, she became... close with him. He made sure her crimes never made it on record."

"Except for the ones she confessed to," Olivia stated.

"I'm assuming. I don't know what Faith was convicted of. How could I? The only story published about Faith was vague and indecisive. Not that I would expect anything else about Sunnydale. Home of the vague," Willow babbled, as she attempted to cover up her lie. She had kept track of Faith's case for Buffy, but she couldn't tell that to the detective. She didn't exactly acquire the information legally.

Willow wasn't good at lying, a fact that Olivia had easily picked up on. Willow's voice roses a few octaves as words flowed rapidly from her lips. What Olivia couldn't figure out was why she was lying. She was intrigued but was more focused with learning more about Faith.

"Was there any indication that Faith would turn to the dark side, so to speak, before the killing of Finch?"

Willow chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated how to answer. "Faith was… Well she was brave, to the point where she was reckless, but for the most point, she seemed like a good person. Brash, slutty, and a friend stealer, but still one of the good guys. That's why it hurt so bad when she turned on Buffy. We trusted her."

Olivia closed her notebook and pocketed it again. "I suppose I'll be going…"

The front door opened with a loud thud, causing the three women to jump.

A man's voice could be heard yelling through the house. "Wills, I finally found her. She was at the cem…" Xander said, stopping when he walked into the room and saw Olivia. "Hello," he said.

"Hello," Olivia said. She stood up and offered the man her hand. "I'm Olivia Benson."

"She's a detective with the New York City Police department, asking questions about Faith," Willow quickly squeaked.

"Oh… Oh," Xander said.

"Who is Faith?" A voice asked from behind Xander. The robotic form of Buffy popped her head out from behind Xander. "Do I know Faith?"

"Buffy," Willow squeaked several octaves higher. "You're home."

"You're Willow, my best friend," Robo-Buffy said.

"Of course, I am," Willow said. Her smile was wide than it should be. "You weren't supposed the be home from your trip yet.

"What trip?" Robo-Buffy asked, looking very confused.

"You know," Willow said nervously. "The one to find your father."

Robo-Buffy tilted her head to the side. "I have no recollection of this trip."

Xander placed a hand on Robo-Buffy's shoulder. "That's because you have amnesia, remember Buffy?" He said nervously. He looked to Olivia and elaborated. "She took a bad spill down a flight of stairs and hit her head. Doctors aren't sure if she'll ever get her memories back."

"Oh Buffy," Willow cried and gave the fake version of her friend a hug.

"We should g-get Buffy s-settled," Tara said to Olivia.

"Sure," Olivia said. She pulled out her business card and handed it to Tara. "My cellphone number is on the back. Call me if Buffy regains her memories, or if you remember anything about Faith."

"I will," Tara said. She walked Olivia to the door, praying Robo-Buffy didn't say anything that would give the cop a reason to ask unwanted questions. As Olivia walked down the stairs, something occurred to her. "Wait. You never said why you were asking about Faith. What your personal business is, that is."

Olivia turned and gave Tara a soft smile, "Faith is my sister." She then turned and walked away.

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Olivia drove back to the hotel on autopilot. Her mind was racing with facts and questions. She was missing something, she just knew it. She had this nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. There were so many questions.

What happened in that motel room?

Why was the room left untouched for two years?

Why were there weapons in the room?

Why did Faith turn on her friends?

Why was Willow and her friends acting so strangely?

Why did they push her out the door so quickly?

As she unlocked her hotel room door, her cell phone started ringing. She paused, pulling out her phone and answering, before resuming her task of opening her door.

"Liv, I have good news, and curious news," Munch said.

"Okay," Olivia said. She tossed her bag on the bed and sat at the small desk to the left of the room. "Good news first."

"I have an address for Angel O'Connor. He owns and operates a private investigative business out of the Hyperion Hotel in Los Angeles. The address is 1481 Hyperion Avenue, zip 90026."

"Thanks Munch," Olivia said as she wrote the address down. "What's the curious news?"

"Well, to start, that is all I could find on O'Connor. Besides visiting Faith Lehane in a woman's prison a few hours north of him, there is no other record of him outside the hotel. No birth records, no school records, no PI license. Nothing."

"That is strange," Olivia said.

"It gets stranger," Munch said. "His office specializes in the paranormal."

"Like ghosts and possessions?"

"And Demons," Munch added.

"That is strange," Olivia said. There was a part of her brain that was slowly putting the pieces together. "Can you do me another favor?"

"Sure, Liv, what ever you need," Munch said.

"I'm a few hours north of La, in a small town called Sunnydale. Can you get me anything about the town that you can find?"

"Sure Liv. Any reason why?"

"Because there is something strange going on here and I want to find out what it is," Olivia said.

"Fair enough," Munch said. "I'll get back to you as soon as I have something."

"Thanks Munch," Olivia said, then closed her phone. She sat at the desk for a few minutes going over everything in her head. Everything in her being was telling her that something was wrong with this town. From the lack of information in Faith's jacket, to cold feeling she still couldn't shake, to the strange behavior of Buffy's friends. There was something she wasn't seeing, and she wasn't giving up until she figured it out.

BTVS-SVU-BTVS-SVU-BTVS

Faith was sitting on her bed, counting the cracks in the wall opposite to her. She had done just about everything else to stay off the boredom with little avail. Push-ups, sit-up, yoga, anything to keep her mind away from wanting to break out.

Her food flap opened with a clink, and a tray was set there, waiting for her to come retrieve it. She jumped off the bed eagerly. Food was all she had to look forward to. It was the only comfort she had in solitary.

When she went to take the tray, the window cover way slide to the side unexpectedly. Usually the guards waited just long enough for her to take the tray, and then moved on. She looked up and locked eyes with Lila, who looked down. Faith followed Lila's eyes downward to find a book sticking through the food flap.

She took the book eagerly and looked back up. Lila didn't say anything as she slide closed the window cover. She looked back down at the food flap and watched as it too closed. She was disappointed that Lila hadn't spoken to her. She took the tray to her desk, nearly spilling the contents as she dropped it on the clear surface. She looked down at the book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, her favorite of the series. There was a book marker sticking out the center of the book. She opened it and found the bookmarker was a note from Lila.

'Keep your chin up kid. It'll be over soon and then things can get back to normal.'

Faith read the not over and over, burning the image of those words into her mind. It was short but meant the world to her. She sat the book next to her tray and began eating her food. Afterwards she opened the book and allowed herself to be swept up in the story.


End file.
